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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27615437">a night of frolics and frills</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/'>Anonymous</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>3 way duel didn't happen, Albus dances the cancan, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crack, Crossdressing, Jealousy, M/M, somehow ggad still go on their trip, where everything does all right</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 03:06:28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,441</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27615437</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Gellert invites Albus for a night of frolic and frills in the Moulin Rouge but when he flirts with one of the dancers Albus becomes jealous and aided by alcohol decides that if you can’t beat 'em, join 'em. </p>
<p>Inspired by a scene in "The Merry Widow"</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Albus Dumbledore/Gellert Grindelwald</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Anonymous</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>a night of frolics and frills</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div>
  <p>When the Moulin Rouge opened in Paris in 1889 it became popular in due to its Can Can dance. A trip wouldn’t be complete without a visit while they take a rest from their mission according to Gellert. So it is here Albus is dragged to for what promise to be a night of frolics and frills, any hotblooded wizard would be sure to enjoy, and if it weren’t for Gellert’s invitation he would have refused. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>The entrance is through a deserted dressing room at the end of the corridor which is said to be haunted among the muggles and those who’ve seen it and don’t believe in ghosts wear its caused by a drunken hallucination. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>The Can Can got to be popular among the wizards that a Trefle-Picques, a descendant of one of those who wizards who got ‘caught’ in the French Revolution, built a separate hall for wizards only. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>And to honour his ancestor the entrance had a picture of a French noble having his head decapitated only to reveal later it was still attached through a concealment charm.</p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Although muggles and wizards kept to themselves but it was an oxymoron as in almost every city muggles and wizards live together and especially in a city like Paris with its history and grandeur it was as if every nook and cranny there were wizard cafes and shops stuffed between muggle ones and under a Disillusionment charm or even open under broad day with just a separate backroom especially for magicals and here they were recruiting in Paris, a city to beautiful that even when the Ministry declared to keep the magical community away from muggles they couldn’t keep themselves away from the geometrically-pleasing streets of Paris. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>-0-</p>
</div><div>
  <p>Albus admits, the dancers are certainly enchanting and half hour in he realizes he’s becoming quite jealous. He takes a gulp from a glass of wine which conveniently refills while he watches the girls and Gellert flirt. And there might have been one who tried to include Albus not that he was aware of and the girl gave up and switched to Gellert which increase Albus’ envy even further.</p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>One of the dancers called Joujou currently engages in witty banter with Gellert who is smiling. </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Albus feels painfully shy and unsophisticated in comparison with everyone they have encountered so far that he feels utterly provincial. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>He looks at his empty glass - now when did that become empty? - before it refills itself again but in a seemingly sluggish manner as if the glass was warning him he’s had enough, and the burn of alcohol remains fresh and strong down his throat. Gellert had assured him the wine was good earlier. With no desire to appear unsophisticated he drank from his glass and continued drinking even when the burn was a slight shock to his throat and senses.</p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Albus feels out-of-place, never the one being accused of being a fun guy to hang around with - that had been his brother when he wasn't angry and throwing punches- meanwhile to him, Gellert looks like he belongs here among the glitterati of Paris with his blond curls shining and in his arms beautiful young witches, yet still remaining more dapper and charming though Albus’s opinion may be biased. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Albus would not have minded -- what is he thinking, of course would have minded -- if Gellert didn’t look charmed by the women. He always knew his friend could charm anyone right off their socks and it came handy many times during their mission.</p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Yes, he’s jealous and increasingly becoming more aware of how besotted he is with his friend and isn’t it dreadful that Albus, who, albeit with all his knowledge of the different fields, knows nothing of attracting the object of his admiration.</p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>However, although he’s sure Gellert has no feelings for him but so used as the recipient of Gellert’s intellectual focus (and exulted he was from it) that it had put him out of his depths to see that attention focused entirely elsewhere and especially of an amorous nature that he could only be in a foul mood and drinking himself silly.</p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>While he isn’t ordinarily the jealous sort (Why would he be?) but spending much time alone with the object of his affection and knowing he is beyond his reach yet still near makes Albus’ pining all the more excruciating.</p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>And even if there was no chance of them getting together he could at least have the consolation of being the person closest to and the equal of Gellert. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>But there are times when even that alone is not enough and all it takes this time to remind him is a trip to wonderful Paree with its exotic and beautiful dancers and women.</p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>It shouldn't be his business that Gellert is interested in other witches and maybe wizards. He’s a healthy young wizard, and what he does in his free time but he can’t just tell his emotions this and expect it to be satisfied with such reasoning -- it stopped around the fourth or fifth time.</p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Nursing his hurt by throwing back wine from a self-replenishing wine glass which one can easily lose count of, and some drinks ‘on the house’ winked by the dancers so that ‘new customers were encouraged to come back to the Moulin Rouge. So Albus merely has more options to drown his pining with.  And the benefits of enchanted glasses: they make patrons drunk easier. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>The can-can dancer leaves Gellert, being called on but before she does she gives him a wink and blows a kiss and Gellert touches his mouth to blow a kiss. “I will look forward to your dance!” </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>“Come contact me whenever you are in Paree, “ JouJou pecks a kiss on his flushed cheeks. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>The wine tastes infinitely bitter, Albus thinks, his face directed away from them, unable to look at his companion being seduced by a witch in clothing his late mother would consider scandalous because of the ample bosom they showed. And even if he isn’t attracted to them , he could appreciate how gorgeous they are. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p> The dance starts and he can’t ignore the spectacle (and partly because he can’t stand looking at Gellert and the flush on his face brought on by another woman and the lipstick mark on his face) not any more than the other patrons in the hall can ignore beautiful young witches showing glimpses of stocking-clad legs and lingerie through flashy movements. Albus admits there is an attraction to the dance with its energy and coquettishness and the rhythm skirts and petticoats when they sway. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Some can’t control their reaction and Albus certainly doesn’t need his Legilimency to tell the overall mood of the hall. No, he doesn't need Legilimency to skim on their emotions to tell. Thoughts were more pervasive and he generally steers clear away from those unless their life depended on it or while searching for the wand. Also, using it for long gives him a headache.</p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>While looking at the happy besotted faces and deliberately not looking at Gellert's and turning to look onstage, a bright idea suddenly strikes his mind while following the rhythmic flick of the petticoats and lace.</p>
</div><div>
  <p>He blesses the alcohol for helping him find inspiration. It’s true what they say how wine and absinthe is a great friend among the poets and writers. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Didn’t he, Albus Dumbledore, graduated from Hogwarts an exceptional student and wonall the prizes that can be won, the Barnabus Finkley Prize for Exceptional Spell-Casting, becoming the British Youth Representative to the Wizengamot, and received the Gold Medal for Ground-Breaking Contribution to the International Alchemical Conference in Cairo. Some of the papers he'd written had even been published in magical journals. Didn’t he become the Head boy and acknowledged by wizards and witches who were giants in their own fields and was generally accepted by everyone in the castle as the brightest student of maybe a few generations, nay, centuries. And even Griselda Marchbanks have complimented him saying the things he could do with a wand were something she had never seen done before. </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p> In light of all of his accomplishments, he can certainly learn to dance the can can!</p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>After all, how hard must it be to kick and swish your skirts and twirl? Granted, he probably can’t do those very high-kicks that could reach another person’s head nor can he do the splits as fast or gracious as the dancers are doing it but for the rest, he could do it -shaking skirts and whirling and kicking.</p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p>Albus knows in his alcohol-fuelled mind that this is going to be one of his best ideas.</p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div><div>
  <p> </p>
</div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Partway done in the next chapter draft but stuck as I don’t know whether cancan dancers wore crinolines underneath the petticoats and how one can make-out in those costumes.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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